The invention relates to a signal processing system comprising:
a portable information carrier,
a signal processing device comprising:
a signal source selection device, having a plurality of logically arranged preset positions, for selecting one signal source from at least two available signal sources,
a control device for controlling the signal processing device and the signal source selection device,
read means for reading information from the portable information carrier,
a memory adapted to store, for at least one set of signal sources, at least one correspondence relationship between a preset position and a signal source.
The invention also relates to a method of processing signals, which method includes:
the selection of a signal source from at least two available signal sources by means of logically arranged preset positions,
the read-in of information from a portable information carrier.
Such a signal processing system is known from WO 96/15629. The known system includes a receiver, particularly a television receiver, and a remote control with a card reader for an information carrier. The information carrier is capable of storing data for each preset position, particularly data which determine whether the receiver is allowed to relay the signal source (particularly a television channel).
It is an object of the invention to provide a signal processing system of the type defined in the opening paragraph in which the correspondence relationship between a preset position and a corresponding signal source can be changed by means of information on the portable information carrier.
To this end the signal processing system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that:
the memory comprises a first and a second memory section, the first memory section being adapted to store at least one correspondence relationship between a signal source and a signal source name which identifies the signal source within a set of signal sources, and the second memory section being adapted to store at least one correspondence relationship between a preset position and a signal source name,
the portable information carrier is adapted to store at least one correspondence relationship between a preset position and a signal source name,
the read means being adapted to read the correspondence relationships from the portable information carrier and store them in the second memory section.
As a result of these measures the correspondence relationships between the preset positions and the signal sources can be defined by means of data loaded from the portable information carrier. This enables a set of correspondence relationships to be installed in a simple manner.
For another embodiment of the signal processing system for each preset position it is possible to store also one or more parameter settings, for example volume of sound or picture contrast, on the portable information carrier and load these by means of the signal processing device.
In a further embodiment of the signal processing system parameter settings are stored on the portable information carrier in standardized form, which improves the compatibility with similar signal processing systems.
In a further embodiment of the signal processing system the signal processing system now also includes write means for writing correspondence relationships and parameter settings from the signal processing device onto the portable information carrier. As a result of this, a user can simply install his personal preferential settings on a plurality of similar signal processing systems.
The method in accordance with the invention is characterized in that
the method also includes the unique identification of a signal source by means of a signal source name,
the information on the portable information carrier includes at least one correspondence relationship between a preset position and a signal source name.
These and other aspects of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to an embodiment given by way of example.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a signal processing system in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 shows the First Memory Section of the Signal Processing Device
FIG. 3 shows the Second Memory Section of the Signal Processing Device.